Not My Week
by LuciferDragon
Summary: Cassie Daniels only wanted to make a quick deposit of her measly teaching paycheck. That was when it all began to unravel.
1. Chapter 1

"So you're absolutely sure you don't want one?"

"Get that damn thing away from me!"

"Oh come on, Cassie, I'm sure you're getting desperate by now." Silvia held the corset up to her much-too large chest, frowning slightly. "Hell, I'm even getting desperate, and I'm married!"

Cassie rolled her brown eyes and glared at the corset as if it were hell on Earth. "Just because I haven't had a man in my life for awhile doesn't mean I need to parade around with the girls in a sling." She motioned towards her small chest. "Does it look like I can do anything with these?"

Silvia shrugged and tossed the corset back onto a pile of discount marked clothes. "Wonderbras are your best friend. Besides me of course. Hence why we're here."

Cassie arched a brow at her friend. "And you need one because…?"

The woman held her breasts. "They're here—" she lifted them a bit "—I want them here." She let them drop again. "They're here—" she raised them again "—they need to be here."

Cassie held up a hand before pinching the bridge of her nose with her fingers. "I get it, Silv. You want wonder-tits. As if your students don't drool over you enough."

Silvia frowned as she let her breasts fall into place again. "They do not."

"Oh, so I just imagine the discussions that happen in my class as I try to have my students brainstorm for their projects."

"Cute, little boy crushes on a happily married woman." She picked up a padded bra and felt the squishy cup inseam. "Heh, squishy."

"Focus on what you're here for so we can get out. I still have to get to the bank before it closes."

Silvia sighed and tossed the too-small bra back onto the pile. "Fine, have it your way. I'll just come back with my other best friend. … Oh wait, that's right, she doesn't exist."

"Get over it, I'm in a rush." Cassie hiked her purse higher on her shoulder, over her red camisole.

"On a rush to go to the bank. You know Shocker's on the loose again, right?"

"Yeah, I know. He's already held up four banks in three days." She scoffed as she thumbed through a rack of silk nighties. "You'd figure New York's finest would be, well, finer."

Silvia scoffed and picked up another bra. "Yeah, right. Tony Stark would give up his fortune before the police force would actually keep criminal masterminds in jail." She slung her selection over her arm and walked to the counter to check out. She arched a brow as Cassie stood behind her, a scarlet nightie slung over her arm.

The woman slouched. "Don't judge me. It's soft."

"Told you. You're desperate."

"Shut the hell up."

* * *

"Will that be a withdrawal or deposit today Miss Daniels?"

"Deposit. Pay day and all." Cassie held a pen cap between her teeth as she signed the back of her paycheck, slipping it under the protective glass to the teller behind it.

Behind her, Silvia looked around nervously, clutching both bags close to her chest. "Hurry up, Cass. These places give me the creeps now."

Cassie rolled her eyes. "I'll be done in a minute." She looked back to the too-cheery teller. "Can I have a receipt for my balance please?"

The teller nodded and totaled up the bank visit. Once the receipt printed on the archaic machine, she slipped it under the glass. "Have a nice day Miss Daniels."

"You too." She capped the pen and checked her balance, not nearly satisfied at the numbers. _Barely enough for the month again. Great._

Silvia caught on to her friend's somber face. "Hey, I'll loan you some cash if you need it."

Cassie shook her head. "I'll get it one way or another. If I have to put up with a phone call to… _them_, so be it."

The other woman frowned. "Don't put yourself through that misery again. C'mon, you know I'm good for it."

The blonde shook her head again, settling her purse on a table by the door to put her debit card away. "My parents aren't so bad. In the first five minutes, of course."

Silvia bit her lip. "Cassie…"

"Don't worry about it. Really."

Just then, a massive burst of air and noise rushed past them, destroying the front glass doors, knocking the two woman flat off their feet.

Dazed and confused, Cassie came to a few minutes later, eyes narrowed in her disorientation. "What on Earth…?"

A man in a padded yellow and red suit stood before them, aiming his mechanized arms at the teller she had been talking too moments before. Her heart sank. _Shocker._

"I ain't gonna ask again. Empty it." The machines on his arms hummed as he powered them up.

The teller panicked and began emptying the till.

"Ah, there you are, Shock-face. Been looking all over New York City for your ugly mug!"

Cassie whirled her head upward, seeing the infamous red and blue clad man sitting lazily on the ceiling.

"What a coincidence, I've been avoiding you all over New York City!" Shocker raised his arm to the wall crawler, letting a blast go. The ceiling collapsed where Spider-man had just been standing, only to be stopped right above the innocent bystanders' heads as he tossed out a large batch of webbing.

Cassie tried shaking Silvia awake. "Silv, you have to see this." It was then she noticed the deep cut in her best friend's throat. "No… no! Silvia!" She desperately tried stopping the flow of blood. "Somebody help!"

Spider-man slugged Shocker in the face, and spun webbing around the man until he was a wiggling mess on the floor. "That ought to hold you." He looked over to where he had heard the scream, seeing the blonde woman, her hands turning red with her friend's blood. _Aw hell, Shocker, did you really have to do this again…?_ He leapt over to the woman and pulled her hands away, using a small strand of his webbing to stop the blood flow as much as he could. "You all right? You look like hell yourself."

Cassie wasn't sure if she should be insulted or not. She reached up to her cheek where she was noticing a warmth, finding her own small flow of blood coming from her forehead. "I'll live. But Silvia—"

"She needs to be taken to a hospital right away." Sirens blared in the distance, showing someone behind the counter had already called paramedics. "If they act quickly she'll—"

Shocker ran up and scissor kicked Spider-man in the jaw, sending the wall crawler flying out the window. "Not this time, pal." He looked over to Cassie, and seemed to mull an idea over in his head.

Cassie didn't like the look he was giving her. Not in the slightest. She scooted away as best as she could, scrambling to her feet, but her arm was captured and twisted behind her. She flinched as he put his masked face closer to her.

"Scream, and I make my arms scream. Got it?"

She nodded and became compliant, seeing no point in making herself receive any more pain. She looked back at Silvia one last time before being led away quickly.

Spider-man shook his head and got back to his feet, leaping on the side of the building and crawling after Shocker. _Not this time._

* * *

Cassie sprawled out on the ground as Shocker tossed her once they were in a condemned building. He slammed the door behind them, wedging a chair underneath the doorknob. Cassie immediately curled up, trying to take a defensive posture.

Shocker threw his fist into the wall next to him, breaking right through the molding wood. "Damned spider. Not again." He looked to Cassie, seeing her resemble terrified child. He pointed his machinery to her, loading them up. "He seems to know you, so we'll just get him where it hurts."

Cassie snapped her head up. _Did I just hear right?_ "I-I've never met him personally before. He-he was just being—"

"A friendly, neighborhood Spider-man?" Shocker scoffed. "That's what you'd like me to believe. The past two robberies I've done, he hasn't stopped to take care of any of the bleeders." The mask lifted by the corner of his mouth, showing he was grinning. "He left them to die as he chased after me. Sound like something a friendly spider would do?"

Cassie shook her head. "No, I don't believe it. He's not a villain like Jameson's making him seem."

"How do you know that if you don't actually know him?" He powered the machine to its maximum. "See ya later, friend of the spider!"

She wrenched her eyes closed, waiting for the screaming impact. After a few seconds of silence, she squinted one open, trying to assess the situation. Her eyes flew open as she saw Shocker in the middle of fisticuffs with Spider-man. His machines had been clogged by webbing, leaving him defenseless. By then, stress and loss of blood began to catch up to her, and her vision grew foggy. The last thing she saw before losing consciousness was red and blue arms grabbing her and taking her from the abandoned building. _This is not my day at all…_


	2. Chapter 2

2.

Cassie came to hours later. She heard the faint sound of a monitor beeping to her left. She squinted her eyes, seeing a brightly lit white room. She licked her lips, finding them dry with disuse.

"Ah, you're awake."

Cassie tilted her head to the still-fuzzy doorway, seeing a woman in scrubs approaching the bed. "What happened?"

"You were dropped off in a batch of webbing a few hours ago. Covered in lacerations, many pretty shallow, but several were in heavy bleed areas." The nurse checked a few of the monitor levels before moving on to the nearly-empty blood transfusion bag. "You almost bled out. We removed quite a few pieces of glass."

Cassie's hands balled into fists at her sides. "Is there another woman here? Silvia Petersky?"

The nurse paused in her work and looked down. "Yes, she came in with a massive laceration to her carotid. Paramedics got there in time to stop the bleeding, but we weren't able to get all the glass out." She checked the I.V. drop. "She's due for surgery in the morning to get the rest out, but for now she's unresponsive. Her heart is weak."

Cassie forced herself up. "I need to see her."

The nurse pushed her back sown. "Not now, you can't. You still need this last transfusion, and more rest." She bit at her lip. "She's unresponsive on top of that. She wouldn't even know you were there. She'll pull out, but not for awhile."

Cassie rolled her eyes and laid back down. "When am I getting out of here?"

"Tomorrow. You'll be fit for the work week." She checked off a few details on the clipboard at the end of the bed. "Dinner is going around in an hour. Get some rest now."

She watched the nurse leave the room, closing the door behind her. Cassie rubbed at her eyes. "Fucking banks."

"Now that's no way for a lady to talk."

She jumped a bit and looked around the room before resting her eyes on the ceiling, finding a familiar red and blue clad man. "Sure know how to make an entrance."

"Can't really walk through the front door." Spider-man dropped down from the ceiling and crossed his arms. "I need to know what happened with Shocker. Any details at all may help me figure out why he took you."

She crossed her arms and sunk into the bed. "Doesn't matter much, does it? You've caught him, I hope."

"He's in jail, yes, but who knows for how long. I'm starting to think the wavelengths are interfering with his brain. Making him lose his sanity."

"Isn't it common for villains to take hostages though?"

"Yeah, but to get something. Not to kill them with no gain."

She chewed the inside of her cheek in thought. "It's a bit fuzzy, but I think he thought I knew you personally. Not sure what he'd gain by killing me even if I knew you."

Spider-man rubbed at his jaw in thought. "Maybe to get to me. Make me weak."

"That's really low."

"It's been done before. But that's how these people work. They're manipulative." He crossed his arms again. "So it seems I'm right. His mind is getting messed up." He looked to her. "How's your friend?"

"Alive, but in bad shape, that's what the nurses tell me." She looked away. "She's due for surgery tomorrow. Have to get the rest of the glass out of her throat." She rubbed at her arms and glanced at him. "Thanks, by the way. For saving our lives."

"It's what I do Miss…"

"Daniels. Cassie Daniels."

"Well then, Miss Daniels, it's about time for dinner rounds. Stay out of trouble now." He jumped to the windowsill and crouched down, shooting out some webbing to take his leave with.

"You're nothing like Jameson tries to make you seem. Just thought I'd let you know you have at least one person on your side."

He nodded and left without another word, though he let a small smile slip from beneath his mask.


	3. Chapter 3

It's a pity this section isn't more popular. Ah well, any feedback is appreciated for those of you who have stumbled across this story. :)

* * *

3.

Cassie put down her pen and sighed once her release papers were finished. She looked at the nurse waiting with the wheelchair. "Do you really have to escort me to her room in that thing? I swear I'm fine, doctor's orders."

The nurse smiled. "We have to do it, so in case something strikes you down from here to Mrs. Petersky's room you can't sue us."

"Makes perfect sense." She handed the woman her papers and moved to sit in the wheelchair. "Her surgery will be successful, right?"

"She lasted the night, so it's a good sign she's fighting. To be completely honest, surgeries like this don't happen often."

"Kind of like Mr. Stark's injuries, right?"

"Yes, but his shrapnel is far too close to his heart to do anything about it. Doctors removed what they could, the rest is up to him to keep away from his heart. Any invasive procedure would kill him." She unlocked the wheelchair and began their journey to ICU. "Mrs. Petersky's shrapnel is indeed in a tricky place, but it isn't something that can't be cauterized instantly to stop the blood flow if it should get out of hand."

"But… she may lose her ability to speak, to breathe on her own. … To teach."

The nurse grew quiet on their journey, making the hustle and bustle of the hospital seem louder than normal.

Cassie clenched a fist on the arm of her chair while they entered the elevator. "It's my fault."

"Oh Honey, no it isn't. There was no way you could've known—"

"She warned me he was on the loose. That making that blasted deposit would've been a bad idea. I didn't listen. I've been living paycheck to paycheck lately, and so I was in such a rush… If I hadn't gone at that time… Silvia would be fine. I'd be fine." She bit at her lip.

"We can't change what's happened. We can only move forward, and learn from all our misfortunes." She wheeled them off the elevator and pulled to the side for a moment so she could kneel in front of Cassie, now shaking with sobs. "It is not your fault. You two were only in the wrong place at the wrong time. If only there were more people like Spider-man out there—"

Cassie's head snapped up. "The wall crawler? You… you actually support him?"

"Yes, and after what he's done for you, I'd hope you would too."

"I-I already did…"

"If there were more people willing to risk themselves for others, just as he does, the world just might be a better place. Despite what that bull-headed Jameson says about him, he's a good man. He risked his life to save yours, and Mrs. Petersky."

Cassie looked down and nodded. _That's true. I didn't really properly thank him for that either. Just a thanks thrown out there. _

"Now then, let's dry your eyes and get you to Mrs. Petersky's room before she's prepped for surgery. The surgeons agreed to give you two some time alone before they start."

"Thank you for everything-" she looked at the nurse's tag "-Sara."

Sara gave another kind smile that met her brown eyes. "Don't mention it, Miss Daniels."

* * *

Cassie sat at Silvia's bedside, holding her friend's hand tightly. Silvia was ghostly pale from the loss of blood, and a respirator covered most of her face, helping the woman breathe. Silvia had always joked about never wanting to be hooked up to a machine the rest of her life.

"Oh the sweet irony," Cassie muttered. A gentle breeze tugged at her blonde hair, making her turn to the window. She narrowed her blue eyes when she noticed it was open. "Strange…"

"I just keep running into you, huh?"

Cassie nearly jumped out of her skin as her gaze fixed itself on the sudden outburst. She laid a hand over her heart, but smiled all the same. "Yes, I suppose so."

Spider-man fell from the ceiling, standing next to her with his arms crossed. "Any changes?"

She shook her head. "Really, I just got here, but from what I've been told, no. They're going to prep her for surgery in a few minutes. I've been told to go home and get some rest. They would call me when she was done." She looked at him in confusion. "Why are you here?"

"Wanted to check up on her, and you again. Found your room being cleaned, so I assumed you'd be here."

Cassie smiled again. "Do you catch up on all your damsels in distress?"

"Only the pretty ones."

Her smile faltered a little. Sure, she considered herself fairly attractive. She had a few curves, a small pudge in her belly that she had been too busy to work off, shoulder-length blonde hair, and normal blue eyes, but she hadn't expected such a blunt response. _Then again, remember he's a known smart ass._ "I didn't really properly thank you last night for saving us. At least to me it wasn't proper. I mean, we could have died, and all I gave you was a simple thank you. It feels like I owe you more than that."

Spider-man shrugged. "I do it to help those. I've been given a gift that can help people, so I help. A simple thank you is enough gratitude, considering what I could've been given instead."

She nodded. She read the tabloids the Daily Bugle released. Very fine pictures taken by the talented Peter Parker, only to be sullied by stories concocted by a cross J.J. Jameson. "I still stand by what I said. I don't believe the tabloids. Though I must admit, the pictures are flattering."

"Aw shucks, you're making me blush," he said, a grin obvious underneath that mask. "So what is it you two do, Miss Daniels?"

"Cassie, please. We're both teachers at Long Island High School. She's the art teacher, I'm creative writing. I'm fresh out of college though, while she's been at this about five years."

"So you teach kids to be creative?"

"Oh yes. I believe that creativity is key to learning. Sure you can sit the children down and lecture them about history, but how much will they really remember? And how much of that history lesson will they take with them to college, or to the real world? If you teach them to tap into their minds, and the different ways they can express themselves, it gives them their own worlds they can escape to, or to use in new ideas."

"You're… pretty passionate about your career."

She quirked a brow. "Aren't you?"

"I wouldn't call this a career. Don't exactly get paid for it."

"Though you should. It's a shame you're not respected as a hero by most of New York."

He shrugged again. "Can't make everyone like the same thing. Some hate what they don't understand."

"Still a shame." She swallowed to steady a sudden jolt of nerves. "Like, isn't there a special someone in your life that… I don't know, gives you encouragement?"

"There… was. Once. She disappeared a long time ago though."

Cassie's eyes narrowed. "Disappeared?"

"Long story short, don't mess with science. Learned that the hard way one day. Learned a lot since. Having someone close only puts them in danger."

"No family?"

"I had an Aunt. She passed away from old age not too long ago. I'm on my own now." He squared his shoulders. "As I said, it only puts them in danger to have anyone close. So, being alone helps."

"Not always…" The click of the door latch made her draw her attention from the blue and red clad man. Two male surgeons entered the room, followed by a few nurses carting gear behind them to take Silvia to surgery.

"It's time to get her fixed up," the darker-skinned male said with a smile to Cassie. "We'll give you a call at home when she's done. Go home and get some rest."

Cassie nodded and glanced behind her again, seeing Spider-man had vanished. _Must've left from the window when they came in. Poor thing…_ She watched as they unhooked Silvia's machines and rolled her out of the room towards the operating room. With nothing left for her in the hospital, she went outside to hail a cab to take her home, wanting nothing more than to cuddle up in bed with her tabby cat Rufus and sleep the day away.


	4. Chapter 4

4.

"Rufus, here kitty!" Cassie tiredly tossed her purchase on the floor as soon as she closed the door behind her. She shuffled into her small living room, where she was instantly greeted by a mewling tabby cat thrusting itself against her legs. "I know, you must be starving baby. Let's get some food in you."

Rufus mewled again and rushed ahead of her into her equally small kitchen.

As she prepared his food, she turned on her answering machine.

"_You have one new message. 'Cassie? It's Mom. I saw what happened on the news. Just checking up to make sure you're fine. Call me when you get this.'"_

Cassie rolled her eyes as the machine beeped. She watched Rufus jump onto the counter. "I see she's really worried considering I haven't called back yet." She winced as she remembered her current balance. "No choice but to call back anyway." She left Rufus to his bowl and grabbed her cordless from the charger on her way to the living room. As she got comfortable, she dialed a number she always dreaded to call.

"Hello?"

"Hi Mom. I'm home."

"Are you all right? We saw the news reel."

"Yeah, I'm fine. Spider-man came to the rescue and dropped me off at the hospital."

Her mother scoffed on the other end. "Probably just trying to get some good publicity. All these masked hooligans should just grow up and get normal jobs."

Cassie grimaced. "He helped me. Without him, I'd probably be dead."

"Without him, you probably wouldn't have gotten into that mess. Speaking of messes, how is that job of yours going?"

Cassie bit her cheek as her heart clenched. Her parents wanted her to be something they assumed would be successful. Teaching didn't add up to that. Especially writing. They viewed it as a waste of time, time that she could be using to make better money for herself. As passionate as Cassie was about writing, she could never get her parents to accept her love of words. "It's fine. Still living a little close to the edge, but I get by."

"We tried warning you that you'd be in poverty, but you wouldn't listen. Thought you knew better than your parents."

"I'm twenty-four-years-old, I'm not a child anymore!"

"You still act like it. Why can't you just go back to school and get a law degree? You'd be able to pull yourself out of that thing you call a house with a degree with that. You'd be able to pay off all those loans faster too. Hell, you might even meet a man in the process."

Cassie bit harder on her cheek to keep from crying. "Why does every conversation have to be like this?"

"Because you won't listen to reason. You keep thinking we have money to hand over to you any time you need it. News flash, kiddo, we don't. You're out of school with that ridiculous degree of yours, so welcome to the real world. Publish a book or something if that's all you can be good at."

Cassie got up and went back to the kitchen, having had quite enough already. "It's not that simple."

"Then go back to school and get a real degree." Her mother sighed. "Anyway, glad you're ok. I need to get dinner started."

She waited to hear the click on the other line before she reached into her fridge for a tall bottle of white zinfandel. Without even grabbing a glass, she uncorked the previously opened bottle and began taking long drags from it, not stopping until the bottle was half gone. She slammed the bottle on the counter, sending Rufus flying from the counter in fear. "Maybe I shouldn't have been saved…" With another tentative glance at the bottle, she picked it up again and returned to the living room. She opened her window to let some air in, and to give Rufus a way in and out for his excursions before settling herself back into the couch, preparing for a long night of TV and drinking herself into oblivion.

* * *

As the sun began to set, a second bottle rolled from her hand as Cassie laid back, feeling at ease with everything. Her vision occasionally blacked out, making her forget large portions of a show she had put on the TV long ago. She sluggishly looked to her side for her fuzzy companion, finding him missing in action. "Rufus… here kitty," she slurred, fumbling out of her comfortable spot on the couch. She stumbled to the open window, and looked out to the closest tree, seeing her cat grooming himself on a tall branch. "There you are silly kitty. Come on inside now."

Rufus merely glanced at his owner before continuing his grooming session.

Cassie frowned and hauled herself out of the window, falling off her perch and landing in a bush, laughing at her antics. "I'm coming kitty!" She giggled as she rolled over and scrambled to her feet, leaning on the tree for support as she continued laughing. Slowly, she pulled herself into the tree, branch by branch, attempting to get to her cat. "Ruf-Rufus, come on kitty!" She swayed as she steadied herself on the same branch as the tabby, gripping on to the tree tightly enough to cut her skin on the bark. With how intoxicated she was, she didn't even feel it. Her vision started fading in and out again. "Whoa, stop the ride, I wanna get off…"

Her grip slackened and her world faded to black. Rufus yowled as his owner fell sideways, off of the tree. She fell ten feet, landing solidly to the ground, her head colliding with a an upraised tree root. The tabby leapt down from the tree and nudged Cassie, mewling at her.


	5. Chapter 5

The sound of mewling woke Cassie, bringing her back to consciousness. She groaned and rolled over, feeling, not her mattress, but grass. She frowned and opened her eyes, hissing at the sudden bright light. "What on earth…" She waited for her eyes to adjust before opening them again. The face of her cat met her gaze, as well as the tree he usually climbed. "Rufus?"

The cat meowed in response and nudged her cheek.

She got up slowly, her head pounding. "What happened?"

Rufus licked at a wound on her arm, and she groaned in pain.

It felt like acid was dripping into her veins at the contact, making her writhe on the ground. Her very bones felt like they were melting, reforming. She instinctively stretched her fingers, feeling an odd sort of growth happen as she did so. Soon, the pain began to recede. Cassie opened her eyes and flinched at the sudden clarity. "What the hell?" She shook her head and sat up, her once heavy body feeling like nothing had happened. She sat in confusion, blinking a few times. She looked to her cat, and he looked at her. "I see you haven't been chasing the ladies on your excursions, have you?"

Rufus merely cocked his head to the side.

She looked at her hands, seeing long, sharp nails. "Odd…" She felt lighter too. Out of curiosity, she stretched and got up. With barely any effort, she jumped and found herself on the branch she had been trying to get Rufus down from just last night. "Incredible. I'm like one of those crazy parkour kids." She shifted off the branch, landing lightly on her feet. She shook her head again. "I've got to be dreaming."

Rufus bumped into her leg, reminding her of his presence.

"Yeah, breakfast. Working on it." She looked on in curiosity as she went back inside through the porch door, holding a hand to her head. "Where the hell did you get this saliva?" She looked as he merely stared at her, then his bowl. "Yeah…" She filled the bowl and left him to his meal, still wondering what had happened. "Guess I don't need my contacts anymore."

She turned on the news, seeing the newest report of slander by Jameson. "Someone should really put him in his place…" She narrowed her eyes in thought, and a grin met her face. "What the hell…"

* * *

She held her head to the sky, filtering the air through her nose. "So many scents. What was in Rufus' saliva?" She crouched down on the ledge of a tall building, listening to the sounds of the city, more clearly than ever before. She stood, her form fitting spotted suit clinging to her frame, showing a more slender body than she had had twenty-four hours ago. She put a hand to her hip, frowning at the city below. "Never realized how… disgusting everything is."

A sudden yell from the streets drew her attention downward, seeing a woman chasing after a man with her purse.

Cassie rolled her eyes. "Juvenile." She ran across the roof of the building, leaping with ease to the next one, and jumped down, bounding wall to wall to land on her booted feet. She managed to land right in front of the man. "Is that a gift for me?"

The man stopped dead in his tracks. "And who are you supposed to be, lady?"

She smiled, showing sharp canines. "Call me Serval." She side-stepped out of the way of the man as he tried lunging at her, and instead found a meeting with the side of a dumpster. Cassie tsked. "That isn't very nice. You don't seem to know how to treat a lady." She picked up the purse just as the other woman found the entrance to the alley. "I'm assuming this is yours."

The woman looked at her, surprised at her wild blonde hair and eyes hidden by a spotted, pointed-eared mask. "Y-yes. Thank you." She took the purse without another word and backed out of the alley.

Cassie rolled her eyes again. "So much for gratitude."

"Get used to it."

She gasped at the voice that sounded behind her. She wheeled around, and grinned. "Well hello Spidey. Fancy meeting you here." She looked on at the costumed man sitting on the wall.

"Mind telling me what you think you're doing?"

"Having a little fun. Can't let you have all of it."

"Uh-huh." He put his head in his hand in amusement. "And what were you planning on doing with the criminal?"

She gazed to her target, still knocked out from his skull colliding with the steel dumpster. "Was working out the fine details on that one."

He shot his webbing at the criminal, restraining him and hauling him up on the wall. "The streets aren't safe for anyone to just put on a mask and have at it."

"I'm not that stupid, Spidey." She crouched and leapt to the wall, jumping back and forth back to where she came. She looked over the edge. "You can have your big-wig villains. I'll be on the sidelines cleaning up the messes you miss. Later, Web-head." She tried running to the next roof, but tripped as webbing wrapped around her ankles. She rolled through it, and landed in a crouch. "What?"

"If you're adamant on helping me with small things, I'll need to know what to call you. You know me obviously."

She smiled. "Serval."

"Explains the spots."

"And that's all you get for now." She raised from her crouch and ran at him, leaping over his shoulders and onto the next rooftop. _I'm sure I'll be encountering you a lot more, Spidey._


	6. Chapter 6

6

Cassie sighed as she put her lunch in her desk, away from the peering eyes of her students. Even with her excursion last night, she woke up feeling rested. She gave a light laugh before she pulled open her binder of lesson plans. "Guess I'll be needing cat naps from now on." She picked up her thermos of water and eyed it as she found it empty. "Great."

After Rufus had licked her wounds, and she had woken up to a literal new her, she was thirsty almost all the time. She walked out of the classroom, her heels making the only noise in the hallway as she went. The first bell wouldn't ring for at least twenty more minutes, so most of the students were waiting to enter the classrooms.

She jumped out of the way of a sudden mass that made its way toward her, not looking where it was going. Normally, she would have slammed into the other person, but now, her reflexes were better than ever.

The other person stopped looking at his paper and put a hand to his head of brown hair with a chuckle. "Sorry miss, I wasn't watching where I was going."

She smiled sweetly. "Not a problem at all. Are you new here?"

He nodded, holding up the paper, which she noticed was a map of the school. "Yeah, temporary substitute teacher. Need a little extra cash, and I heard the science teacher's out on maternity leave."

"Mrs. Connely, yes. Her third one. That woman puts a bun back in as soon as one pops out." She put a hand to her mouth as her eyes grew in surprise. "Don't let on that I said that."

The man chuckled. "Don't worry about it." He held out his hand. "Peter Parker."

"Cassie Daniels." She shook his hand. "So what is it you normally do, Mr. Parker?"

"Photos for the Daily Bugle, mostly. Then some odd science jobs here and there. Thought I'd take a stab at being a high school sub for once."

"Should be rewarding for you." She pointed to the door next to her classroom. "Mrs. Connely's classroom is next to mine, if that's what you were looking for."

He smiled sheepishly. "How'd you guess I was lost?"

"The map, for one thing. And you walked right past the door." She gave a small smirk. "Don't worry, I hear you're excused for being tardy on your first day." The first bell rang overhead. "The herd is coming, watch yourself." She gave a slight wave. "Have a good first day, Mr. Parker."

"You too, Mrs. Daniels."

Her smile faded. "Miss. I never married."

"Sorry then, Miss Daniels."

She narrowed her eyes as he walked away, and his presence was replaced with students. _He's got a familiar scent. Where have I smelled that before?_ She shook her head and went back into her classroom as it slowly filled up with students. _Just being silly._

* * *

Cassie stretched out languidly on a ledge high over the city lights. She rested her head on her arms and looked out at the sparkling lights of the traffic below. "Could get used to this." She had found that she just couldn't focus on her lesson plan that night. Her other life was calling to be let out. So, she had closed her laptop, put on her suit, boots, and mask, and leapt out of her window.

Now she rested easily, content to just watch the city do its thing. A woman kissed a man before entering the building next to Cassie, presumably ending a very nice date. Cassie sighed. "What I wouldn't give for a date that didn't end horribly."

"I'm sure we could get some delivery up here."

She almost jumped out of her skin and had to use her claws to hold herself steady on the ledge. She glared at the male voice, but her frown turned into a smirk. "Ever the romantic, eh Spidey?"

"I'm a charmer to the end." He leaned back, making him look like he was using the vertical wall of the roof access next to her like a chair.

"Shouldn't you be out fighting some big-time crooks?"

He shook his head. "No. It's quiet tonight. Seems the same is true for the small-time thieves."

She propped her chin up on her palm, almost looking bored. "Been getting some use out of the quiet. Nothing quite like a quick snooze."

"That ledge hardly seems comfortable."

She eyed him from the corner of her mask. "Neither does that." Regardless, she arched her back in a stretch before pulling her legs under her into a sitting position. "So how'd you get into this gig?"

"Bit by a radioactive spider. And you?"

"Licked by a radioactive cat."

"Wait, what?"

She laughed as she realized how many ways her statement could go. "I fell from a tree and my cat licked my open wounds. Turns out he's been getting into something. Not sure what though. Next thing I knew, I was like this." She stretched her fingers, making her sharper nails lengthen at will. "Sharper vision and hearing, agility through the roof."

"Sounds like neogenics."

She frowned. "Neo-whatsis?"

"Neogenics. It's what originally created my mutation."

She stood suddenly. "Wait, mutation? I'm a mutant?"

He shook his hands. "Slow down, Serval. Not entirely. Well, enough that you don't have to go to Xavier's school. Neogenics is a dangerous process. I had thought we shut down all the uses of it."

"We?"

"Doc Conners and myself. It was creating more harm than good." He gestured to her as she resumed her seat on the ledge. "As we see with you and your cat, someone's still messing with it."

She gave a sad sigh. "All good things come with a price, eh Spidey?"

"Not entirely true."

"Ah, yes. You get to work with a fine piece of ass like me." She gave a smirk, not caring what she said. Before the mutation, she had been shy, mostly withdrawn around men she was even the smallest bit attracted to. Now, it didn't seem to matter at all to her. On top of that, her libido was flying through the roof. _Like a cat in heat_.

He cleared his throat uncomfortably. "I'm going to patrol the streets once more before calling it a night. You're free to do as you wish."

"I'm so glad I have your approval to do so." She waved her fingers in a goodbye. "Later, Spidey." She watched as he leapt from the wall and gripped on to a freshly slung web. "Wonder what else those legs can do…" Cassie frowned at herself. "Sylvia's right. I need to get laid."

* * *

Cassie wound her new toy up as she downed her latest catch in the alleyway. She hooked it securely to her new belt of tricks, next to a hand old classic, the taser. She ran her tongue over the new canine additions she had discovered she could control a few nights ago.

She had patrolled the city, and broken in to a closed store that sold plastic police grade bindings. Feeling bad about slipping into the store, she left some cash to cover the loses. Untraceable, of course. It had been an eventful week, and she was able to operate on her own the whole time. She was perfecting her skills in capture ever since her first attempt when she hadn't thought about how she would bind her captures after knocking them out.

For now, she strapped the plastic cuffs around a pipeline in the alley where the crook would be discovered by an "anonymous" tip to the cops. Again, untraceable. She brushed her hands of invisible dirt and leapt up the side of the building.

Unbeknownst to her, a certain wall crawler had been watching her progress, ready to leap in if she would need help. He was surprised at how well she had held her own, and found her attempt at leaving cash for the bindings amusing. He couldn't help but think of another feline-themed heroine he had spent a lot of time with. He sighed from his place next to his favorite stone friend. "I guess the newbie doesn't need any help, huh Bruce? That'll teach me to underestimate the fresh blood." He glanced down at the crook, and then back to where he had last seen Serval. To his surprise, she had vanished.

Black gloved hands covered his eyes and a sultry voice said, "Guess who" next to his ear.

He laughed a little. "I see you're doing fine on your own, Serval."

"Seems I only need men around for one thing these days." She moved her hands to let him look up to where she was leaning over the edge.

"And that would be what?"

She gave a very feline grin. "A girl can only do so much for herself, Spidey. Some things just aren't as… satisfying."

"Such as?"

She lifted up the bottom of his mask and kissed him before she could question her motives. She gave it a little more and then lowered the mask back into place. "Can't exactly do that to myself, now can I?" She gave a wink and stood up straight. "See you around, Spidey."

As she turned to leave, he could have sworn she let out a soft purr of satisfaction. Still in a slight daze, he dropped back down on his haunches, face in his hands. "I'm in for it now, Brucey. Then again, it has been awhile, both for Spider-man and Peter Parker. What's the worst that could happen?"


End file.
